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2010-06-28

Carob-Almond-Banana Smoothie

Almond milk smoothie with carob and banana.

It's the little things in life. So they say. And today I would agree- wholeheartedly, in fact, with every rebel piece of my dairy-free chocolate verboten heart. The heart that beats without the comfort of gluten, without the silky swirl of cream, without the sexy burn of Tapatio sauce and raw red onion. The heart that misses Penne Arrabiata and roasted tomato salsa. The pragmatic heart that now beats on a mission, to quell this monkey gut of mine long enough to heal a stubborn duodenal ulcer.

And that is why, Babycakes, no chocolate will grace my tongue. Or peppermint tea (which I drank by the gallon to calm said monkey gut). Apparently chocolate and mint exacerbate little things like hiatal hernias. And, oh yeah. Holes in your duodenum.

The things you learn. Better late than never.

So one particularly soft and balmy day last week I thought of carob powder- that earthy crunchy nutty substitute for chocolate those of us old enough to remember the counter culture in fond and vivid flashbacks recall with a surge of bedeviled hippie affection.

And I started dreaming of smoothies and cupcakes and all sorts of carob infused possibilities.

Are any of you allergic to chocolate? Or do you row the same ulcer healing boat that floats my world? Speak up. Encourage this trend. Because I have an inkling there will be more carob recipes in the near future.

Carob is slightly sweet and nutty and has a warm, friendly taste not unlike a mild mocha or chocolate with barley malt (barley is off limits to those of us gluten-free). And as a bonus- it has a few nutrients, too, for those interested; Rebecca Wood states it contains calcium and potassium, is low in fat (compared to cocoa powder) and has zero stimulants (caffeine being yet another ulcer-aggravating culprit). And- it's an age old tonic for upset tummies.

Paired with almond milk and a frozen banana with a kiss of vanilla, the carob powder made a luxurious smoothie.